


Behind Blue

by VulpesVulpes713



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Birthday, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Black Paladin Keith, Blue Paladin Allura, Family, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Laith, Lance Angst, Lance Week, Lance Week 2017, Langst, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Post Shiro's disappearance, Voltron, because this got way longer than I thought, earth/blue, freebie is sort of included, friends/comfort, he sad, klance, klance fluff, lance birthday week, lance comforting keith, lance pov, red paladin lance, vld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 03:11:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11682816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulpesVulpes713/pseuds/VulpesVulpes713
Summary: For Lance Week 2017. A combination of the prompts into one mega-fic following the plot of Voltron up until Shiro's disappearance.Time to see what it's like behind blue.(It's Lance. I mean Lance.)





	1. Family

**Author's Note:**

> Check my [Tumblr](https://vulpes--vulpes.tumblr.com/) for tons of Klance content and if you wanna scream with me about Lance :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be for Lance week, and it was..somewhat. I've gotten way behind with the posting so just have this full on fic based on the prompts for each day. 
> 
> Happy birthday Lance!

What is a family?

 

For a long time Lance had thought it was a blood relation; the woman who birthed you and the man who raised you, and any siblings that followed after.

 

But as he grew older, began to understand more about the world and its workings, he realized that his definition may have been faulty. Family wasn’t always a mom, a dad, and a sister or two. 

 

Sometimes it was two moms, or just one. And other times it was two dads, or none at all. And then, if one were really lucky, there could be three people who each held the title parent. 

 

And siblings didn’t always come from the same two people. Sometimes they had a different father, or a different mother, or none at all that they could remember, until they were taken in and raised by a loving family. 

 

But what  _ made _ a family? 

 

Lance knew that it was more than blood at this point. He had seen enough of the world to know that the family one was born into was not always ideal. Some were abusive, others negligent.

 

He had been blessed to have been given one that loved and cared for him, but he couldn’t say the same for everyone.

 

So sometimes, a family was more than just a genetic similarity. Sometimes it was the people one chose, the friends they made; calling each other family without any real connection to one another aside from the bonds they had fabricated.

 

And when did a group of people truly  _ become _ a family?

 

And how could one tell?

 

Those were the questions Lance pondered as he sat on the paw of Blue, knees pulled up tight against his chest to help ease the deep throb that was echoing around in the cavity of his chest. 

 

It had been two days since Shiro’s disappearance, and the team was still reeling from the aftershock of it, Keith especially. Lance had tried his best to comfort him, but there was only so much words could do, and Keith had always been more of an action guy anyway, so Lance doubted they had helped much to begin with.

 

Still, it was painful to see his friends suffer. 

 

So Lance had left, just for a moment, to try and collect his thoughts in the hangar of his lion, calmed by her reassuring hums. He had sat, wondering at what more he could possibly say to try and help his team, and coming up with an upsetting lack of material. 

 

How could one try and fill a hole with words anyways? It was impossible, at least currently, and Lance had momentarily given up; letting his mind wander back to his family on Earth.

 

He felt like he understood them much better after losing Shiro, which was an odd thought, and it didn’t do much to settle the growing despair in his stomach, but Lance couldn’t deny the similarities.

 

It was one thing for him to miss his family, but at least he knew where they were, and that they were safe. But in the wake of Shiro’s abrupt absence, Lance was hit with the gut-wrenching realization of how and what his family must truly  _ feel _ . 

 

To lose a loved one so suddenly and not even begin to know where to look; entirely unsure if they were alive or not. 

 

It was an awful sensation, leaving him hollow and frail, and was slowly tearing a hole in the area his heart should have been; ripping open the edges he had managed to sew shut with time. 

 

_ This is what my family must be feeling. _

 

But how long did the pain last? Did it lessen as the days went on, or grow worse? Lance had a feeling it was the latter, and sighed heavily as he leaned back against the cool metal of Blue’s leg. 

 

_ This is what  _ both _ my families must be feeling. _

 

And it was true. The people on Earth that he was connected to by blood, and the people in this ship who he had bonded and grown close with, were all hurting, and there was little he could do to help. 

 

_ But I’m not giving up. _

 

And maybe that was what defined a family. 

 

When they each suffered from the loss of a member, not knowing what to do, but still trying nonetheless; reaching to pick up the broken pieces of each other's heart before they crumbled to dust.

 

And as Lance sat there, consoled only slightly by Blue, he made a promise; one that he would do everything in his power to keep.

 

_ I’ll make my families whole again. _

 

_ Both of them. _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes the shortest part. RIP to me writing blerbs. They all turn into 5k+ word works. 
> 
> I need help.


	2. Friends/Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second prompt needs little explanation I think...  
> Combined two days into one because I can ;)

Lance didn’t see the door of Blue’s hangar slide open.

 

He didn’t hear the footsteps as they approached, soft as they were.

 

And he barely felt the light nudging of his shoulder that ultimately ending up waking him; eyes blinking groggily as he lifted his head.

 

“Lance.”

 

His mind was slow to register the voice, much less identify who it belonged to, but as Lance rubbed the sleep from his eyes, neck stiff from the position it had been in, he realized who it was that was standing before him.

 

“Keith?”

 

And then it all came flooding back in.

 

“Keith, sorry,” he said hastily, ashamed he had been caught sleeping in such dire times. The last thing he wanted was for the red paladin to think he didn’t care about finding Shiro. He hadn’t meant to doze off at all in the first place, but after coming to the realization that both his families were broken, his hollowness had manifested into tears; draining him of any and all remaining energy, until he had passed out curled up on Blue’s paw.

 

He made to get down, but Keith stopped him by placing a hand gently on his lower calf, keeping him in place.

 

“No, it’s alright.”  _ He sounds so defeated… _ “I was just- _ we _ were just,” he corrected, “wondering where you went.” 

 

_ How long was I out for? _

 

“Oh,” he said instead, noticing Keith had yet to move his hand. “Yeah, I just needed some time to think.” 

 

Keith sighed heavily, staring down at the ground.

 

“Don’t we all.”

 

Lance could feel the pain in his words; knew that, of all of them, Keith knew Shiro the best, undoubtedly  _ liked _ Shiro the best, and to lose him twice now was just a cruel joke. 

 

_ But he’s not lost, just temporarily misplaced. We’ll find him. _

 

But Lance couldn’t bring himself to say those words, and he doubted Keith would want to hear them anyways, having already been subjected to a multitude of reiterations of that very phrase. 

 

Like he had said before, Keith was a man of action.

 

And then a thought occurred to him.

 

“Hey Keith, do you want to just sit here for a bit with me? I don’t think Blue would mind at all.” 

 

Keith glanced up at him, eyes tired and red, and nodded mutely. He jumped up with ease, settling in close on the limited space of Blue’s paw and leaning back against her leg. He exhaled slowly as he let his eyes slide shut, and Lance noticed the large bags that had developed there over the few days Shiro had been gone. 

 

Though they all sported similar looks, he didn’t like seeing them on Keith.

 

Not one bit.

 

“Where are the others?” Lance asked after a moment, curious as to why it had been Keith to come fetch him and not Hunk. The red paladin didn’t open his eyes as he answered.

 

“Pidge is using her scans to try and track possible places where he-” he broke off, swallowing hard before changing course. “Just places, and Hunk is helping Coran try and access Black’s database to see if there’s any information we may have missed.” He scowled then, the look twisting his features unpleasantly. “But there’s no point. Black won’t supply anything more than what she’s already given.”

 

That was frustrating, and Lance could sense Blue’s presence in the back of his mind, humming at him softly as she felt his anger bubble.

 

_ Why isn’t she being more helpful? Her paladin is missing! _

 

Blue sent him a wave of calm, tinged with concern, but her patience was bountiful. 

 

_ Every decision has a purpose, _ was all she supplied, and though Lance wanted to argue more, he let it drop. Besides, if Black was going to be unhelpful then there was little he could do. 

 

It’s not like he could control her.

 

“And what about Allura?” 

 

Keith let his head drop down, staring at his hands as they fiddled with the edges of his shirt.

 

“I’m not sure. She went off somewhere and I didn’t care to ask.” 

 

_ That’s unlike her… _

 

But he didn’t pursue the subject, instead choosing to change it.

 

“Hey Keith…” the boy looked over, and Lance let his question free. “How did you and Shiro meet?”

 

Keith blinked, and was silent for so long that Lance worried he may have chosen the wrong thing to ask about, but then he sighed, the corners of his mouth twitching up in what could almost be described as a smile.

 

“At a science fair actually.”

 

_ What?! _

 

“Like...baking soda and vinegar volcanoes science fair or ‘come look at Albert Einstein and friends’ science fair?” 

 

Keith actually huffed out a small laugh at that, which did things to Lance’s insides he cared not explain. It was just nice to see him actually smile after so long. 

 

“Baking soda and vinegar volcanoes science fair,” he explained. “But my project was a tad more advanced than that.”

 

“And what was that? The practicality of mullets in space?” 

 

Keith rolled his eyes, ignoring the jest as he continued his story. 

 

“Shiro was a judge, and in high school at the time. He was impressed with my project, and, I don’t know...it was the first time anyone had ever really made me feel proud of my work, you know?” He smiled down at his hands as he recalled the memory. “I figured he was just being nice, and that they were supposed to encourage us younger kids to keep studying and all that, but Shiro took it to the next level. He started tutoring me; acting like my mentor to help further my projects all the way into high school. He was the reason I got into the Garrison in the first place.”

 

“I thought you got in because you were a natural pilot?” 

 

Keith shook his head slightly, turning his gaze back on Lance.

 

“No. Well...I mean I was, but they didn’t know that when they offered me a scholarship.”

 

_ WHAT. _

 

“You got a scholarship to the Garrison?” Lance hadn’t been so lucky, and had had to work hard to get the fees together to pay for his tuition there. It was entirely worth it, but he couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous at hearing Keith get a free ride in. “What was the project?”

Keith shrugged.

 

“It’s not important anymore. Once they realized I was better at flying than I was research, they switched me into the pilot program. I was thrilled, since that meant I could study under Shiro directly, and we were already pretty close friends at that point.”

 

Lance hummed to himself as he processed the information. He supposed it made sense, what with Shiro being the way he is, taking helpless emo children under his wing and nurturing them to their full potential, but what was truly shocking was how Keith had originally been on the research team at the Garrison. 

 

“I didn’t you were so smart,” he commented quietly, and Keith sighed lightly.

 

“I worked for it, and Shiro helped me  _ a lot _ . But once I discovered flying I never looked back.”

 

_ And why would you, when you were top of the class… _

 

“Why did you drop out then?”

 

It was something that Lance had wanted to know ever since hearing that the prized pilot of their generation had up and left. What made someone give up a scholarship to the Garrison?

 

Keith’s voice was hushed when he finally spoke, forcing Lance to lean in to hear.

 

“It wasn’t really my decision. But after Shiro went missing, I asked everyone I knew for information, even the research team I had originally been a part of. But there was nothing. Finally Iverson told me to give up and get my head out of the clouds.”

 

“I hate that guy…” Lance mumbled, and Keith laughed dryly.

 

“Yeah same. I told him I was a pilot, and that my head  _ belonged _ in the clouds. He didn’t like that very much, and said the only reason I had gotten in was because of Shiro, and now that he was dead, I would have to actually work.”

 

Lance felt his mouth drop open in shock.

 

“What an ass! He told everyone you were kicked out because of a discipline issue!”

 

Keith scoffed.

 

“I mean, I guess you could call punching a senior officer in the face a discipline issue…”

 

“You WHAT?!”

 

Keith laughed again, but this time it held more colour; more life. 

 

“I was sent packing after that, but I couldn’t be bothered. I had learned what I needed, that the Garrison had given up, so I went off on my own to search.”

 

Lance was in awe. All this time he had figured Keith had dropped out, deeming himself too good for the rest of them. But to know now that he had simply been defending the honour of his friend, and against Iverson to say the least, well...Lance would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit impressed.

 

In fact, he was feeling pretty proud of the boy sitting next to him.

 

“I can’t wait to go back to Earth and show that jerk that I was right,” Keith went on. “I can’t wait to see the look on his stupid face when I land down in front of the Garrison in Red, with Shiro piloting Black, and you in Blue.”

 

Lance didn’t have a reply this time. Hearing Keith talk about wanting to go back to Earth for the sole purpose of spiting Iverson was great and all, but the best part of that whole confession was hearing the confidence in his voice when he said ‘with Shiro piloting Black’. It set Lance’s mind at ease, knowing that Keith hadn’t given up.

 

Knowing that he wouldn’t.

 

_ And neither will I. _

 

“I can’t wait either,” he said softly, and felt Keith’s gaze linger a moment too long on his face.

 

“And what about you?” 

 

“What about me what?”

 

Keith tucked his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and letting his head be supported on his knees.

 

“How did you meet Hunk and Pidge?”

 

“Oh man…” Lance leaned his head back against Blue’s leg, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to recall. “I met Pidge after we were assigned as teammates, but I knew Hunk way before then.”

 

“Like from school?”

 

Lance shook his head, feeling the ghost of a smile grace his lips.

 

“I honestly couldn’t tell you. Hunk and I just sort of became besties. Like...I can’t even remember the exact day, or how we met in the first place. It was just like two magnets of opposite charge that were finally brought together. We’ve been inseparable since elementary.”

 

Keith was smiling to himself as he listened, but there was a sadness in his eyes that Lance couldn’t quite place, and he didn’t think it had to do with Shiro. Did Keith have childhood besties? Or was their missing leader the only one he ever knew?

 

He wondered if he and Keith would have been good friends had they known each other sooner.

 

Or had he not fabricated a rivalry between them. 

 

_ Why did I do that in the first place? Jealousy? What a stupid mistake on my part. _

 

“You know,” Keith spoke into his knees, his face bobbing up and down as his jaw moved against them. “I remember seeing you two around the Garrison.”

 

Lance whirled on him, nearly slipping off Blue’s paw as he briefly lost his balance.

 

“I thought you said you didn’t remember me!”

 

“When did I say that?”

 

“When we first rescued Shiro!”  _ How can you not remember that?! _

 

Keith thought for a moment, before frowning slightly beneath his bangs.

 

“I distinctly recall saying I remember you.”

 

Lance huffed, folding his arms over his torso as he sulked.

 

“Yeah, as a  _ cargo _ pilot. Basically the same thing as not remembering me.”

 

Keith had the audacity to laugh, but Lance couldn’t really be mad. Hearing the sound of happiness escape the other's throat was worthy of forgiveness, even if the comment had stung at the time.

 

“Oh yeah…” Keith admitted after collecting himself. “I guess I did say it like that, didn’t I.”

 

Lance nodded, pout in full force.

 

“But what else was I supposed to say? That I remembering seeing you sneak across campus late at night with your friends, or that I would secretly laugh at all your stupid comments in class?”

 

“What stupid comments? I never spoke those out loud!”

 

Keith bit back a grin, propping his head up on his arm to stare at him better.

 

“I sat a few seats away from you in some classes. I heard those smart-ass remarks, don’t even deny it.” 

 

Lance was appalled. Not because Keith had heard him mouth off teachers in class, that was something to be proud of, but because he hadn’t realized Keith had noticed him at all! And since when had they sat near each other?

 

“Why didn’t you ever say hi? I thought you were some shy know-it-all for so long…”

 

Keith’s smile faded, and Lance chastised himself for scaring it away.

 

“That’s  _ why _ I didn’t say hi. I knew everyone talked behind my back. I knew what they said about me. I was an object to them; a high score to beat. I wasn’t a person so much as an ambition, and no one wants to befriend what they hope to one day surpass.”

 

_ Wow, that hit close to home… _

 

Lance fell silent as Keith’s words washed over him. He felt immensely guilty, particularly because he was the exact sort of person Keith had just described. For so long Keith had simply been a spec in the distance; someone Lance had yearned to beat, especially after he had been given the opportunity to prove himself as a fighter pilot. 

 

Still, had Keith not been kicked from the Garrison, Lance would never have gotten that chance, so, in all reality, Keith was the only reason he was here in the first place.

 

He owed a lot to the red paladin.

 

“Can we start over?” Lance said suddenly, and Keith quirked an eyebrow in his direction.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean,” Lance sighed, feeling Blue’s reassurance in the back of his head. “I want to try again. I want to be your friend.”

 

Keith’s confusion only grew as he stared at Lance skeptically.

 

“I thought we were already…?”

 

“We are!” Lance hastily amended, hearing the hesitation in Keith’s voice. “But I want to pretend we’re back at the Garrison for just a moment. I want to try this again.”

 

Keith still looked confused, but there were traces of amusement in his expression now that Lance clung to. He cleared his throat, extending a hand for Keith to shake.

 

“Hi! I’m Lance. What’s your name?”

 

“Lance what are-”

 

“Woah! Your name is Lance too?!” he teased, and Keith rolled his eyes. He reached out and took Lance’s hand after a moment though, and squeezed gently.

 

“I’m Keith.” 

 

“Pleasure to meet you Keith.”

 

Keith was grinning shyly now, and Lance felt a warmth begin to blossom in his chest, hovering over the area his heart would be, and for a moment, it didn’t feel so tattered; so broken.

 

For a moment he felt whole.

 

“Do you want to be my friend?” he asked, voice coming out as hardly a whisper, still clasping Keith’s hand in his own. He didn’t feel the need to let it go.

 

Keith’s eyes were shining as he stared back at Lance; dark indigo mixed with the soft glow of Blue’s hangar, and Lance wondered absently if his eyes had always been that pretty. 

 

“I’d like that very much,” he responded in kind, his words sending goosebumps along Lance’s skin, and he grinned widely. “But only if you promise not to make us rivals like last time.”

 

Lance laughed, the sound genuine and fresh and giving him a renewed energy as it escaped his lips. He saw Keith’s own smile grow as his shoulders relaxed. He heard the soft chuckles resonate from behind a wonderfully full set of lips. He felt fingers pulse against his own, their warmth spreading through him and igniting areas of his heart he hadn’t known existed.

 

And then, staring back into Keith’s face, memorizing as many details as he could given the opportunity, he felt his broken pieces slowly begin to reassemble; piece by piece, until the aching in his chest was a tad more tolerable.

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bond children.
> 
> Bond.


	3. Earth/Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another combination deal!  
> And more Klance!

It was amazing how few planets resembled Earth.

 

That was to be expected to an extent, given the vast variety of lifeforms that had evolved over the millennia; colonizing different planets around the universe. But Lance had yet to find one that reminded him of home. 

 

It should have been easy really. Earth wasn’t anything special. It was a rock, floating around a sun, that just so happened to have ideal conditions for life. Hundreds of thousands of planets followed that exact recipe.

 

So Lance had been fully anticipating landing on at least  _ one _ during their time in space that was identical to Earth. 

 

Sure, some planets had atmospheres that he could breathe in without hassle, or skies that were blue and trees green. Others hosted impressive bodies of water, though he hadn’t dared drink them, as well as different ecosystems and climates that he could  _ almost _ pretend were the same as on Earth. 

 

But there was always something that prevented him from successfully fooling himself.

 

_ The aliens here have four legs. _

 

_ The ground is spongy, and the air smells too sweet. _

 

_ There are three suns! _

 

But more often than not, the planet just didn’t  _ feel  _ like Earth to him. It didn’t feel like home. 

 

So Lance had eventually stopped looking. He stopped trying to make connections, or see passed certain elements that inhibited him from believing he was back on their own blue space rock.

 

Because the truth was, they weren’t, and Lance was a fool for continuing to try and think otherwise.

 

And he was tired of the disappointment. 

 

He didn’t even bother to see the similarities to Earth as they had landed on a small planet, no larger than the moon back home, in an effort to try and form Voltron without Shiro. It hadn’t gone well, with the team simply unable to connect on the same level as was needed for the Lions, and had resulted in a heated argument that had them all at wits end.

 

“We need to try again,” Allura said firmly, her pink paladin armour contrasting starkly with the Blue of his... _ her  _ lion. 

 

_ Allura flies Blue now.  _

 

And then somewhere in the back of his mind came the familiar reassurance he associated with his giant robot space cat: _ You are mine still. _

 

_ Thanks girl, _ Lance thought back, hoping she could still hear him.

 

“We’ve been going at it all morning!” Keith argued back, and Lance could sense Red trying to console him. It was interesting, having two voices in his head at once, what with Blue still communicating with him and Red being his new ride, but Lance could easily tell which was which.

 

Where Blue was all cool tones and warm thoughts, Red was bright, hot energy; her thoughts consisting of sharp directions and quick words that Lance had had to get used to. He wondered if that was how Keith usually thought.

 

“Yes but if we keep trying-”

 

“What’s the point?!” Keith’s voice tore through the still air, causing them all to freeze at the ferocity in it. “Black won’t open up to me! I can’t connect to her like I do with Red!” 

 

Allura inhaled slowly, collecting her thoughts before continuing. 

 

“Keith, we need Voltron. If I can connect with Blue, and Lance with Red, then you can connect with Black. You have no other option-”

 

But Keith wasn’t having it. He stormed passed her and the others, face on fire as he made his way over to Lance.

 

“Keith-” but Lance trailed off as he saw the way his jaw was set; eyes forward and unblinking as he stopped in front of him. No amount of talking was going to calm this boy down, so Lance let him pass. 

 

“Keith what are you doing?!” Allura called after him as he made his way into Red. He didn’t even grace her with a response as he took off, flying out over an expanse of forest that bordered the clearing they were in. 

 

Everyone was silent as they watched the massive robot disappear into a red spec. 

 

“Well...now what?” Hunk said, breaking the tension. Allura sighed heavily; her frustration evident on her face.

 

“There’s nothing we  _ can _ do if Keith doesn’t cooperate.”

 

“It’s not his fault,” Lance interjected, and her glare focused in on him. “Allura, you have to understand...Shiro-” he broke off, seeing her hardened exterior break for just a moment.

 

Hunk spoke up next.

 

“We could use a break anyways. Re-ground ourselves, you know?”

 

“Yeah,” Pidge agreed, and Allura’s face softened to a resigned acceptance. 

 

“Fine. But someone needs to fetch Keith. He can’t just fly off like that in the middle of training.”

 

Lance wasn’t sure why his hand shot up in the air. It was as if his body had reacted without him knowing. But it was up, and Allura had noticed.

 

“Yes Lance?” she asked tentatively, as if not fully comprehending what he was doing. He didn’t either, but the words were out of his mouth before he could fully process them.

 

“I’ll go.”

 

His request must not have sounded as odd as Lance thought, since the princess merely nodded, turning to sit on the ground at the Black Lion’s feet and putting her face in her hands.

 

Hunk on the other hand, was giving him a look.

 

Scratch that.

 

It was  _ the _ look.

 

_ It’s not what you think buddy. I just wanna make sure Keith is alright. _

 

But why? Of all the paladins, Keith was the most competent at flying his lion, so it wasn’t like he was in any danger. And this planet was basically void of sentient life, so nothing should attack randomly. So where was this sudden urge to find Keith stemming from? Why did he feel the need to comfort and protect him, as if he were a lost puppy and not an angry teenage boy with a sword for a plaything? 

 

Lance wasn’t sure. All he knew was that there was something inside him yearning to console the red paladin, as he had done with him the other night in Blue’s hangar. 

 

_ We can just sit and talk and hopefully figure this out. _

 

“I’ll be right back,” he informed Hunk, who was still eyeing him knowingly. He didn’t say anything though, for which Lance was grateful, and instead turned to lay next to Pidge on the grass and watch the clouds overhead. It looked peaceful, but as much as Lance wanted to join them, his desire to find Keith was overpowering. 

 

_ And besides, now I have an excuse to fly Blue. _

 

She opened up for him; purring softly as he took her controls.

 

“I missed you too girl. Flying Red is fun and all, but I would choose you anyday.”

 

_ As would I, _ she whispered in the back of his head, and Lance smiled, taking off smoothly as he began his search for Keith.

 

He wasn’t very hard to find, or at least, his lion wasn’t. Lance could still feel Red in his head, and though she wasn’t directly speaking to him as Blue had, he could almost sense her beckoning out, pointing him in the right direction.

 

Sure enough, after about a five minute flight, Red came into view.

 

She was sitting in a cluster of trees, and as Blue descended, Lance knew immediately that Keith wasn’t there. He groaned in frustration as he clambered out of his lion, walking the 

short distance to Red, and placing a hand on her paw gently.

 

“Where’d he go girl?”

 

_ Find, _ was all she supplied, and Lance could feel Blue’s amusement as his mind supplied a variety of colourful language he dared not speak out loud. Red was great, but she was stubborn and unhelpful when she wanted to be. 

 

_ No wonder she chose Keith. _

 

“Fine. I’ll do this the hard way. Do I get a hint or-” but he broke off as a sudden gust of wind blew through the trees; cold and carrying with it the scent of salt and wet sand.

 

_ No way… _

 

Lance took off, following the direction of the wind, before coming to an abrupt halt just clear of the border of trees. There, spreading out in an uninterrupted horizontal line of deep blues and greys, tipped with whitecaps and frothing where it met the sand, was an ocean. 

 

But this wasn’t just any ocean.

 

_ It looks just like Varadero beach…  _

_ Like home. _

 

Lance felt himself walk forward in a daze, hearing the soft hiss of sand beneath his feet as it flowed over the boots of his armour. He felt the sea breeze play with his hair; knowing the humidity would likely leave him with curls. 

 

This beach was so nearly identical to the one he had grown up on that Lance felt himself slip into that reoccurring daydream that usually surfaced whenever he was reminded of Earth. 

He could almost pretend he was there.

 

That his house was just around the bend, and his mamma would be calling out shortly, informing him that dinner was ready. His siblings would rush back, giggling as they tripped on the loose sand, and Lance would pause to look out over the ocean, wondering what secrets it held. And as he came up to the edge of the water, watching the waves play gently with the shore, he saw footprints embedded in the damp areas of the beach, and was brought out of his trance as thoughts of Keith resurfaced. 

 

And he remembered that he wasn’t on Earth. He was on a strange alien planet in the middle of nowhere, and this beach was just a collection of fine grained rocks and salt water.  

 

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

_ It’s not Varadero. It’s just a beach. Stop trying to make it home. _

 

He followed the footprints a little ways, smiling to himself whenever a particularly zealous wave washed over his feet, until a flash of red caught his eye in the distance.

 

Keith was sitting on a large rock overlooking the water; his legs tucked up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his knees. He didn’t look over as Lance approached, instead choosing to keep his gaze on the line that separated sky and wave. 

 

Lance took his silence as an invitation, and clambered up the rock to sit beside him, careful not to brush shoulders or anything lest it make Keith uncomfortable. 

 

He mimicked Keith’s posture and brought his legs to his chest, where he rested his chin on his knees, and sighed deeply. 

 

“I can’t do it,” Keith spoke after a moment, not turning to glance over at Lance. His eyes were still trained on the horizon, unblinking and void of any and all emotion. Lance missed the life they used to hold.

 

“I don’t think that’s true,” he mumbled back, and this time Keith did look over.

 

“And how would you know?” He whirled, eyebrows tilting downward on his forehead as a glare took over his facial features. “Shiro didn’t ask  _ you _ to lead Voltron. He didn’t leave instructions on how to connect with Black, and he didn’t have all these high expectations of you that you’re failing to fulfill. How could you  _ possibly _ think otherwise?!” 

 

Lance was silent for a moment as Keith’s anger washed over him. Where he would usually take offense, or argue back with a quick retort, Lance couldn’t bring himself to fight. 

 

“I know how you feel.”

 

“ _ How?!” _ Keith urged, voice strained and tight with frustration, and Lance breathed out through his mouth slowly before answering.

 

“Because I was  _ your _ replacement.”

 

Keith’s mouth fell open, ready with denial, but he must have sensed the truth of Lance’s words. His expression softened as he spoke again; voice a lowered hush.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

_ Please don’t make me explain it…. _

 

But Keith was watching him expectantly, so Lance obliged.

 

“Back at the Garrison, after you left, I was the one to fill your spot. Iverson was constantly comparing me to you; saying I would never be good enough no matter how hard I tried, and it was difficult. And I wanted to give up….but I didn’t.” He turned his face to stare into Keith’s eyes, noticing a flicker of... _ something _ cross his pupils before being snubbed out as the boy blinked. “At first I thought I could just copy you, but that would be impossible, since I just  _ wasn’t _ you. So I found my own way of doing things, and it worked for the most part, but I was still failing to meet everyone’s expectations. They wanted me to be you, and I just couldn’t.” He shrugged, turning his attention back out to the ocean in front of them. “And now I’m replacing you again, by flying Red while you fly Black. So yeah, I know how you feel.” 

 

A long expanse of silence spread out before them as Lance finished, and he could feel the gaze of the red, or well,  _ black  _ paladin, on him as he focused on the water. 

 

_ Maybe I shouldn’t have said it like that...now he’s going to be even more pissed with me. _

 

But Keith surprised him by draping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him into his chest; the other hand reaching around the back of his head and cradling him in close.

 

Lance’s mind filled with static; unable to comprehend what was going on.

 

_ Is Keith hugging me?! _

 

And then his body was relaxing into the embrace; muscles losing the tension he hadn’t known was even there. He felt his own arms reach around behind Keith’s back, returning the embrace as best he could given the sideways position he was in.

 

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but it may as well have been hours with the way Lance’s heart was pounding when they finally broke apart; as if he had just run a marathon wearing cement for shoes. 

 

_ All this from just a hug?! Lance, buddy, chill please. _

 

“You aren’t my replacement Lance. You’re an improvement. An upgrade.” Keith’s voice was barely a whisper, and Lance noticed with a small smile that he had left his arm to drape across his shoulders, even though the hug had ended. 

 

“I wouldn’t go that far...”

 

“Then how about my equal?” Keith asked tenderly, and Lance swallowed thickly as his heart jittered anxiously in his chest. 

 

_ I’m Keith’s equal? _

 

But he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted by the compliment. Besides, he was the one supposed to be doing to cheering up.

 

“That goes for you as well then. Shiro is a great pilot, and leader, but you aren’t him. And there’s nothing wrong with that, you just need to figure out how to take charge in your own way.”  

 

Keith hummed to himself; nibbling at his lower lip as he processed Lance’s words, and Lance had to remind himself to focus once again as his mind wandered down paths he usually reserved for nights he couldn’t sleep.

 

Paths that wondered what it would be like kissing those lips he was trying so hard to ignore.

 

“That makes sense actually,” Keith said, startling Lance out of his daydream. “But how do I connect with Black? It took Shiro  _ months _ to finally earn her trust...how am I supposed to do it in an afternoon?”

 

“I don’t think you need to earn her trust so much as earn her respect. Shiro was still able to form Voltron even before he fully connected to Black, remember?”

 

Keith grunted his reply, and Lance chuckled. 

 

“All I’m saying is maybe try talking to her. Ask her how she’s doing and stuff like that.”

 

Keith quirked an eyebrow in his direction, shifting his position on the rock so he was cross-legged, which meant his arm finally left its’ place on Lance’s shoulders.

 

He silently mourned its’ loss. 

 

“Is that how you talk to Blue?”

 

Lance nodded, thinking back to all the conversations he had with his lion. Even now he could feel her in the back of his mind; an ever-present source of calm he could draw from.

 

“I do it with Red as well. She seems to like it.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, picking at the rock absently and tossing pebbles into the waves below. 

 

“I know. She tells me.  _ All the time. _ ” 

 

Lance laughed, sensing the amusement from both lions as he thought about Red bragging about him to Keith.

 

“What else does she say about me?” Lance asked, curious now that he knew Red still kept tabs on Keith, as Blue did with him. 

 

Keith’s face flushed brilliantly, and he hastily turned away so Lance couldn’t see. 

 

“Nothing much,” he mumbled, and Lance wondered why he was suddenly so shy. What had Red said? 

 

But then...what had  _ he  _ said?

 

Lance liked to talk to the lions. It was just something he did. And though Red’s style of communication varied vastly from Blue’s, he was still adamant about sharing his day with her whenever they flew together. 

 

Had he accidentally let something slip about Keith? It was entirely possible, seeing as Lance’s thoughts were a ping-pong machine at times, bouncing off different subjects at random, so why  _ wouldn’t _ he have mentioned Keith at one point?

 

_ But what did I say? _

 

And then he remembered how mere minutes before he had been thinking about what kissing Keith would be like. 

 

And how he had enjoyed their hug.

 

And their chats.

 

And how their hands had fit together so nicely back in Blue’s hangar.

 

But Red wouldn’t have mentioned those things to Keith...right?

 

She wouldn’t rat him out like that, would she?

 

_ Would you? _

 

The devious wave of amusement that washed over him in response was enough of an answer. 

 

_ You traitor! Blue, she’s being mean to me! _

 

But Blue had a very similar reaction, and Lance got the sneaky suspicion that both lions were working together to make his life as awkward as possible. 

 

_ I hate both of you. _

 

“She likes you is all,” Keith went on after a minute, and Lance let his embarrassment fade. If Red  _ had _ said something, Keith didn’t bring it up, for which Lance was grateful. 

 

“Like lion like paladin?” he joked, but Keith’s cheeks turned a brilliant shade of scarlet, and he ducked his head to hide his face behind his hair. Lance watched in bewilderment.

 

_ Wait a second…did he just admit he likes me? _

 

Sure there had been no verbal agreement, but Lance was good at reading body language. And it wasn’t like Keith was very hard to decipher. The boy was an open book meant for toddlers; all pictures and visual cues. 

 

Lance wasn’t sure what to do with that new information however, so he decided to change the subject to allow himself time to figure it out. 

 

“I can see why she chose you,” he commented, and felt the affection flood through him as Red hummed her agreement. “She misses you.”

 

Keith lifted his head with a small huff of a laugh, and began tossing rocks back into the ocean with renewed vigour. 

 

“I miss her as well. Black is…I don’t know, but I just can’t seem to figure her out. And I sort of don’t want to, you know?” Keith glanced over at him then, searching Lance’s face for some sort of verification. “I feel like, the moment I connect with Black is the moment we give up on Shiro. And I can’t live with that...I can’t lose him again.”

 

Keith’s voice had trailed off to nothing more than a whisper, but his words resonated loudly within Lance’s head.

 

_ That’s why he’s so hesitant to try. _

 

It all made sense now, and Lance felt his throat constrict tightly at hearing the confession. Keith was worried he was training to become more than a temporary fix; that once they were successfully able to form Voltron, Allura would call off the search for their leader.

 

It pained his heart, and Lance could understand where Keith was coming from, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

 

“Keith,” he said softly, placing both hands on the paladin’s shoulders. “We won’t give up on Shiro. I promise you that.” 

 

Keith glanced up into his eyes, lower lip trembling slightly as he warded off tears, and Lance let his hands move up to cup his cheeks gently. 

 

“Besides, do you really think Red would let Black have you forever?”

 

Keith’s face broke out in a large grin as he laughed, and Lance squished his cheeks in, making his lips jut out comically. 

 

“Lanth thtop-” 

 

“Red would tear the universe apart if is she was no longer allowed to have you as her paladin. You know it,  _ I  _  know it…” he paused, playing with Keith’s cheeks absently as he thought. “That actually might be the best way to end this war honestly. Just let Red go on a rampage over you.”

 

“Lanth!”

 

“We could play an intense game of hide and seek! Like, we would need to make sure you were in a little bit of danger so she went wild, but that wouldn’t be so hard, since it’s you. The Galra wouldn’t know what hit em.”

 

Keith’s laugh tapered off to a light chuckle as Lance finished, and his own hands came up to wrap loosely around Lance’s wrists, pulling his arms away from his face and down into their laps. 

 

“I guess you’re right…”

 

“Of course I am. Red loves you.”

 

“Like lion like paladin?” Keith whispered, and Lance quirked an eyebrow.

 

“Well, probably, I mean I’m assuming you love her back and-” he broke off, realizing what Keith had meant; that Lance flew Red now, which meant… “Oh…”

 

_ He’s talking about me. _

 

But where Lance would normally be rushing to correct himself, he smiled shyly instead, and slid his arms back until his hands were slipping into Keith’s, where he let them rest comfortably as he spoke again.

 

“I’d say so.”

 

Keith’s mouth fell open slightly, before turning up at the edges as he ducked his head again; fingers tightening around Lance’s and securing them in place. 

 

It was then that Lance realized that maybe he  _ had _ found a planet similar to Earth.

 

Sure it wasn’t an exact replica, but as he sat there on the rock holding Keith’s hands in his own, ocean surrounding them and filling the air with the thick scent of saltwater and seaweed, Lance allowed himself to believe he was back on Varadero beach.

 

And though this planet, small and foreign as it was, would never compare to Earth, he could pretend, for the moment at least, that he was home.

 

That his house was just around the bend, and his mamma would be calling out shortly, informing him that dinner was ready. His siblings would rush back, giggling as they tripped on the loose sand, and he would pause to look out over the ocean, wondering what secrets it held. And as Lance sat near the edge of the water, watching the waves play gently with the shore, he glanced over at the boy beside him.

 

He wasn’t on Earth, he knew that. This was still a strange alien planet in the middle of nowhere, and this beach was still just a collection of fine grained rocks and salt water. 

 

But it was so much more now.

 

_ It’s not Varadero. It’s just a beach.  _

 

But it felt like home. 

 

And maybe that was the piece he had been missing for so long; the part that would always keep him from wholly believing he was back on Earth. All this time he had been searching for a planet that reminded him of the one he had left behind, and all this time he had been looking for the wrong things.

 

Maybe Earth was just another planet, and what Lance had truly been hoping to find was a place that reminded him of home. And maybe that home had been with him all along, in the form of the boy sitting beside him, head now resting against his shoulder.

 

_ So this is what I was missing eh? _

 

He pulled Keith in tighter to his side, and rested his own head on top of the other’s, gazing out at the expanse of ocean before them. 

 

_ Maybe this can be my home away from home. _

 

_ Maybe  _ Keith _ can be my home away from home. _

 

_ Yeah...I like that. _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm blue ba ba dee ba ba da \\(^U^)/


	4. Birthday

Lance awoke the next morning the same way he did every morning since coming to space: with a groan and light itch in the back of his throat.

 

He wasn’t sure if the castle air became drier at night, or if he was just use to more humid climates, but the first thing he did after getting to the bathroom was guzzle down a glass of water. 

 

The second thing he did was wash off his face mask, which was needed in order to maintain the correct moisture balance of his skin. And the third thing really depended on how well he had slept, and if the bags beneath his eyes needed to be addressed. 

 

This, apparently, was one of those mornings. 

 

Lance hadn’t slept well. His dreams had been vivid and abstract, with no real logical plot to follow. He hated those sorts of dreams, because it meant he couldn’t determine what had caused them; what had brought them on.

 

Usually, if he had spent the day flying in the lions, his dreams would involve some sort of stomach dropping sensation, similar to reaching the peak of swing, or thinking there was one more step when there wasn’t, before plummeting forward. Other times there would just be cats. 

 

And if he had had a conversation about something random with one of his teammates, normally Hunk, that same topic would make an appearance that night as he slept. Lance wasn’t sure how many times he had dreamt about food goo because of this. 

 

More often than not however, Lance’s dreams were filled with memories of his family. He had liked those ones at first, since seeing the faces of his loved ones at night was a source of comfort and brought him some sense of peace in the morning. But the longer he was away in space, fighting a war he hadn’t meant to get caught up in, the more he had begun to hate those dreams. 

 

They had twisted into something dark; and the faces of his loved ones had morphed and shifted, until he was no longer able to identify who was who. 

 

Those were the dreams he woke up from in a heavy sweat, face mask dripping down his forehead and making his eyes sting. Or maybe that was just the tears. 

 

Whatever the case, Lance would have to spend an hour or so calming himself down, repeating the names of his family and associating a face with each, until his breathing had relaxed enough for him to pass back out. 

 

But the nightmares would wait, and he would have to endure them over and over until finally he would rise, eager to start a new day just to put an end to the dreams. 

 

It was a miserable cycle, but one Lance had grown used to. So after dimming the appearance of exhaustion from his eyes, the fourth thing Lance would do in the morning was close his eyes and remind himself of his family. He would recall their voices in his head, and utter a few phrases in Spanish as a greeting, and for a moment, pretend that when his eyes reopened, he would be standing in his kitchen back on Earth. 

 

It worked for the most part, but as Lance finished his morning rituals, he realized that last night's dreams hadn’t been nightmares per say. In fact, though the visions had been strange and near impossible to decipher fully, Lance felt a resounding familiarity as he recalled them, like a déja vu, but less certain. 

 

He thought that...maybe his family had been there? But they hadn’t been perversed in any way. They had appeared relatively normal, save for them all sitting in a rough semicircle around him, smiling warmly. And maybe that wasn’t so strange at all, and Lance was simply not used to seeing his mother and father appear to him so clearly after the way his dreams had been distorted in the past months. 

 

But where Lance should have felt happiness, or even relief, the only sense he got from remembering the dreams was a deep guilt tinged with traces of sorrow.

 

It was disorientating, and Lance decided it was best to just forget them and move on; begin the day anew, as he tried to do every morning. 

 

_ It was just a dream anyways. _

 

Hunk was standing outside his door when he finally finished getting ready, hand lifted as if he had been about to knock, and Lance paused, wondering why his best friend was there.

 

“Mornin Hunk...something wrong?”

 

The boy tilted his head, the smile that had been in full force slipping downwards slightly as he took in Lance’s appearance. 

 

“Woah, did you not sleep well?” he asked, and Lance frowned. 

 

_ I mean, no, but I thought I had covered that up well enough.  _

 

_ I guess not. _

 

But he didn’t say that. There was no need to worry Hunk over something as trivial as a dream anyways.

 

“Do I look that bad?” he joked, but it felt half-hearted and weak, and only made Hunk’s smile sink further down his face. 

 

“Lance, you know I’m here if you need to talk, right?” 

 

Lance swallowed hard; the lump of emotion in his throat making it difficult, and nodded.

 

“I know buddy,” he mumbled, and maybe one day he would tell Hunk about his nightmares, but that morning just didn’t seem like the right time nor place, so he settled for a light pat on the yellow paladins shoulder instead. “Just been a bit stressed with everything that’s gone on.”

 

Hunk’s head bobbed up and down in agreement; his eyes losing a bit of the spark that had been there when Lance first opened the door. Shiro’s absence had been hard on all of them, and though Lance had been most worried about Keith, he knew the others were just as bothered. 

 

Hunk was no exception.

 

“Anyways,” Lance went on, adding a cheeriness to his voice to help ease the melancholy that had descended. “What brings you to my room on this fine, spacey morning?”

 

Hunk’s smile didn’t return to his face as Lance had expected it to, instead turning confused as his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

 

“You mean...you don’t know?”

 

“Know what?” Had something happened? Had he slept through an alarm and missed out on forming Voltron?

 

Surely someone would have come to get him sooner were that the case…

 

“Lance…” Hunk went on, his voice concerned, “it’s your birthday today.”

 

_ Wait...what?! _

 

Lance stood there, mouth hanging open slightly and feeling like the gravity had been turned off in his head. 

 

Everything was spinning, and his thoughts were a jumbled mess of perplexity as Hunk’s words washed over him.

 

Today...was his birthday? 

 

Could that be true?

 

And then images of his dreams resurfaced with renewed clarity, and Lance realized with a jolt that they hadn’t been random at all. They had been memories. Days from his past when his family would gather around the table and sing for him, before celebrating his existence with presents and cakes and as many hugs as he could handle. 

 

Today was his birthday, and he had completely forgotten about it.

 

“Woah Lance,” Hunk’s hands were suddenly on his shoulders, steadying him as he swayed dangerously on his feet. “Are you alright? All the colour drained from your face-”

 

“Fine,” Lance managed to say, blinking rapidly to clear any remnants of the dream from his mind. He felt numb; not in a cold way, but as if all the feeling in his body had been snubbed out, like someone had put anesthetic in his veins. 

 

“You forgot, didn’t you,” Hunk’s voice was hushed, his hands squeezing gently and grounding Lance. He nodded in reply, mouth unable to form words as his head worked to do the mental math.

 

If today was his birthday, that meant he had been in space for nearly half a year. 

 

That was six months with him missing from the Garrison.

 

Twenty-six weeks without any contact from his family.

 

One hundred and eighty-two days of them thinking he was either missing or dead.

 

And he had no idea how many hours that all equated to, but knew that it was too much, and there was nothing he could do to remedy that.

 

It was a very upsetting thought.

 

“Lance, I promise I’ll make today as wonderful and awesome-” 

 

“No,” Lance interrupted quietly, shaking his head to rid himself of the realizations. “No, please Hunk. I’d rather you didn’t.”

 

“But-”

 

“Hunk…please.” He watched the concern on his best friends face deepen, and felt a twinge of guilt in his gut for making him worry. He sighed, choosing to explain himself rather than leave Hunk with such an odd request. “It’s just that, it feels wrong to celebrate, what with Shiro still missing and my family…” he trailed off, but Hunk, thankfully, seemed to comprehend. 

 

“I know, but a little bit of cheer could go a long ways right about now. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

 

Lance shook his head again.

 

“Not even a small cake, or-”

 

“No. Please, I’d rather not celebrate anything until we get Shiro back, you know? Once we have him safely in the castle, then we can talk cake.”

 

Hunk still looked hesitant, but wasn’t about to deny Lance’s wishes. He patted Lance’s shoulders, before letting his hands drop down to his sides.

 

“Alright then. If that’s what you want...”

 

Lance smiled and held out his arms. 

 

“But you can still give me a birthday hug if you want-” he broke off as Hunk rushed forward, embracing him with strong arms that picked him up off the ground with ease. Lance’s laugh quickly turned into a wheeze as Hunk’s hugging grew a bit too enthusiastic, and when he was finally released he clutched his sides at the imminent bruising.

 

“Geez bro, I’m not a tube of toothpaste,” he joked, and Hunk chuckled.

 

“I would apologize, except that would imply I was sorry, so...yeah, no.” 

 

“Rude,” Lance said, but he was grinning now, and for a moment, could almost pretend that he was about to happily celebrate his birth with his friends and family. But the moment didn’t last long. Shiro was still missing, and his loved ones back on Earth would likely not be lighting candles today, at least, not the kind meant for him to blow out. 

 

Thoughts such as those really put a damper on things.

 

“Oh, and Hunk?” Lance continued, glancing down the hallway to ensure they were alone. “Please don’t let anyone else know it’s my birthday. I don’t want them to feel obligated to act happy or try and plan something for me.”

 

“Lance they wouldn’t be acting!”

 

“Maybe not, but with Shiro still missing it just wouldn’t feel right, and I don’t want anyone pretending for my sake. Like I said, we can celebrate properly once we get our leader back.”

 

Hunk was quiet for a few long moments, before sighing in resignation. 

 

“Fine, alright. But the moment Shiro is back you can guarantee I’m throwing the biggest party you’ve ever seen. I’m talking cakes, cookies, pizzas, movies, board games...you name it, it’s yours.”

 

Lance chuckled, and the two began walking away from the row of bedrooms and towards the kitchens, where Hunk insisted he at least make him breakfast. Pidge joined them shortly afterwards, stating she was drawn in by the lure of Hunk’s cooking and looking almost as exhausted as Lance felt.

 

He wondered if she had gotten any sleep at all, or if she had been hunched over her laptop all night searching for possible explanations for Shiro’s strange disappearance. 

 

“Any news?” he asked softly as she sat down, her eyes red and sporting a dark pair of bags beneath them. He reminded himself to offer her some of his face cream later on, if only as a temporary remedy. Sleep was really the only cure for such deep fatigue, but until Shiro was safe and sound with the rest of them, Lance knew a restful night was a ways off. 

 

But even then, Pidge would likely not truly rest until  _ all _ of her family was back, and Lance was glad he had asked Hunk to withhold any news of his birthday. Pidge had enough on her plate as it was without worrying about making him happy.

 

“Nothing useful, at least, not to me,” she explained, digging into her food robotically. “I’m going to spend the day with Coran and see if he can help me decipher the Altean texts I managed to dig up.”

 

“What’s in them?” Hunk asked, sitting down beside Lance at the table. Pidge shrugged.

 

“Not sure yet, but a few of the symbols looked familiar, so they might be helpful. At this point I’m willing to try anything.”

 

They were silent as she finished, not knowing how to continue the conversation, or if they even should. Lance hadn’t liked the way Pidge had said ‘at this point’, as if she were already beginning to lose hope. 

 

_ It’s only been a week and a bit… _

 

He wondered briefly if his family had given up on him in a similar fashion; the leads growing smaller and less helpful as time went on, until their own ‘at this point’ became ‘what’s the point’, and they gave up. 

 

_ They wouldn’t give up though.  _

 

But there was small part of him, hidden away in the deepest crevices of his mind that wondered hesitantly… _ but what if they did? _

 

Lance shook his head of the idea. He knew his family. And he knew that, were he in their position, with one of his siblings lost without a trace, he wouldn’t ever give up.

 

It was hard to be comforted by that thought though, since, if his family was still searching for him, Lance knew there would be nothing to find. Even if they managed to trace him and the others back to Blue’s cave, without her actually being there, it was just a cool rock formation with glowing symbols.

 

Pretty hard to base anything off just that.

 

No, in order for Lance to give his family any sense of relief, he would need to physically return to Earth, and with the war still waging and Shiro still gone and so many other loose ends to tie up, the journey home was more of a hope at this point in time.

 

The dream of a daft man.

 

And Lance was a bit tired of dreams.

 

“Where is everyone, by the way?” Hunk asked, in order to change the subject. Pidge glanced up from her food, looking around the room once before shrugging again.

 

“No idea. I was Green’s hangar all night. You guys are the first I’ve seen this morning.”

 

“Hmm. I wonder if I should bring Allura some breakfast. She hasn’t been eating as much lately…” Hunk thought aloud, and Lance smiled at his genuine concern. 

 

“I think she was in the control room last I heard,” Pidge went on, and Hunk nodded, mind made up.

 

“If I make something for Coran can you give it to him for me?”

 

Pidge gave him a thumbs up, turning her attention back to her food. Hunk glanced over at Lance then.

 

“And if I gave you something for Keith-” he couldn’t even finish his sentence as Lance began coughing abruptly, his mouthful of food going down the wrong pipe.

 

“What makes you think I know where Keith is?” he managed to get out, face red from nearly choking, or else from thoughts of the boy himself. Their list of bonding moments had grown significantly over the past few days, but Lance had been hesitant to act further on them, since he had merely been acting as a comfort for Keith to help lessen the ache of Shiro’s absence. 

 

Hunk shrugged, but there was knowing gleam in his eyes that Lance knew all too well.

 

_ Nothing gets passed you, does it. _

 

“Just sayin. You guys seem to be acting friendlier.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that too,” Pidge chimed in, and Lance wished she had been more preoccupied with her food to have overheard. The last thing he needed was for Hunk  _ and _ Pidge to go around teasing him about a crush he may or may not even have.

 

“Hey, Keith and I are just friends. Quit trying to imply more.”

 

Pidge and Hunk exchanged curious glances, before both turning to stare at him with devious smirks.

 

“We weren’t implying anything.”

 

“Just stating a fact,” Hunk added, and Lance groaned as he winked. 

 

“I’m leaving,” he said, standing in an attempt to hide his growing blush. 

 

“Ooo, to find Keith?” Pidge sang, and Lance hunched his shoulders with a grunt as he exited the room. His plan  _ had _ actually been to find Keith, if only to continue their conversations from before, but now he felt it better to just hang out in Blue’s hangar for a bit and sort out his feelings in private. 

 

Besides, he and Keith hadn’t spoken much after leaving the beach back to their respective lions. Allura had made them all try forming Voltron a few more times once they had returned, but after hearing what Keith had said, Lance’s heart hadn’t been in it fully. 

 

Plus Red hadn’t been much help, with her basically chanting in his head the whole time he was trying to focus; providing unhelpful images of Keith and his stupid pretty face whenever he tried clearing his mind. It was very distracting, but the worst part of it was that Lance wasn’t even that mad. 

 

In fact, he had almost been welcoming of the images, and Red had been more than willing to supply; cooing about how kind and brave and soft and gentle and just overwhelmingly  _ good _ her paladin was.

 

And she hadn’t meant Lance.

 

Needless to say they had all left that planet in varying levels of frustration, with Allura refusing to speak to any of them once they were back on the ship. He knew how difficult it must be for her, and could only imagine the stress she was under to protect not only them, but the entire universe, but he wasn’t sure how to comfort her. 

 

_ At least she’s flying Blue. She’ll give her the same reassurances she gives me. _

 

The same reassurances he was seeking right then, in fact, and he was eager to just sit on her paw and have her tell him everything would be alright.

 

But as Lance made his way down to his hangar, he stopped short of Blue’s doors, hearing a familiar voice come from inside. He peeked around the corner, and caught sight of a flash of pink before ducking his head back to the wall.

 

_ Allura… _

 

Why was she in Blue’s hangar though?

 

“-not sure what to do anymore…” her voice drifted out to the hallway, and though Lance wasn’t a huge fan of eavesdropping, this  _ was _ his lion, even with Allura as her temporary pilot, and he was curious.

 

Lance didn’t hear the response Blue must have given, and felt a spike of jealousy erupt in his stomach that she was purposely cutting him out of the conversation. It was to be expected, seeing as Allura was under the impression she was alone, and Lance could understand why Blue would keep their talk to between them, but still. 

 

Blue was  _ his. _

 

_ He  _ wanted to be the only one to talk to her.

 

“I just feel so alone,” Allura went on, and as quickly as it had come, the envy drained out of him, leaving traces of guilt in its place. Blue was as much his lion as Allura’s now, and Lance was a fool to think he had sole rights over her. 

 

_ Besides, Allura needs comforting right now, and Blue is the best one for that. _

 

So Lance left, making a note to try and speak with the Princess one on one later, not wanting to interrupt. He felt a familiar presence in the back of his mind, and smiled to himself as he heard Blue whisper directly to him.

 

_ Thank you, _ was all she said, but it was enough. He could always come back and chat with her later as well. 

 

In the meantime though, Lance was at a loss for what to do. Everyone was seemingly busy, and though he didn’t want to be left alone to stew with his thoughts, it appeared he had little choice in the matter. 

 

“I could train I guess…” but his heart just wasn’t into the idea, so he pushed it aside. He was heading back to his room when he heard a slight scuffle behind him, and then someone was clearing their throats.

 

He turned and saw Keith standing a little ways down the hallway from him; hands behind his back and cheeks changing colour as their eyes met. Lance felt his own face begin to heat just from the mere sight of the boy, and for a moment neither of them spoke.

 

“Um...hi,” Keith said at last, bringing his arms out from behind his back to fiddle with the ends of his jacket. Lance turned so he was facing him fully.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Are you doing anything right now?” Keith asked, taking a hesitant step closer, and Lance shrugged, not wanting to admit that he had been about to sit in his room by himself and try not to drown in his thoughts. Keith didn’t need to know that.

 

“Nothin much,” he replied, and Keith’s face broke out in a relieved grin.

 

“Good! Then, do you want to play a game?” 

 

Lance tilted his head to the side, eyebrows flicking upwards as he watched the boy in front of him. 

 

“What sort of game?” he asked slowly, mind providing several ideas he cared not mention out loud, much less ponder too thoroughly, lest his face betray him. 

 

“Just something on that console you and Pidge managed to buy. Hunk fixed it, right?”

 

_ Oh… _

 

But Lance wasn’t too disappointed, and allowed his fantasies to be replaced with images of him beating Keith in whatever game they decided to play. He nodded eagerly, and felt his own beam spread out across his face. 

 

“Yeah, he did, but I haven’t gotten to play it much since buying it.”

 

“Good, then I have a fair chance of winning,” Keith quipped, and began walking in the direction of one of the common rooms that the console was set up in. Lance followed, scoffing at the audacity of Keith’s statement.

 

“Pfft, in your dreams mullet man. I’m a professional in all things gaming.”

 

Keith glanced over with a raised brow. 

 

“That’s not what Pidge tells me.”

 

“Yeah well, Pidge is a machine. I can win against any  _ human.” _

 

“Oh,” Keith smirked, “good thing I’m part Galra then.”

 

Lance’s eyes grew wide as he stared at Keith in shock.

 

_ Is he sassing me?! _

 

“It’s so on,” he challenged, and took off in the direction of the room with Keith at his heels.

 

Lance won the first few rounds they played, and was about to start taking it easy on Keith when he suddenly lost by a fair amount, and he wondered briefly if maybe  _ Keith _ had been the one taking it easy on  _ him. _

 

After a few more losses he finally turned to stare at the boy beside him, and noticed the way his fingers danced across the controller; eyes focused and tongue sticking out between his teeth in a look of absolute concentration.

 

_ This jerk! How dare he be good at video games  _ and _ look cute doing it! _

 

_ Plus he’s winning!! _

 

After that Lance started playing dirty. It was only fair really, since Keith was obviously much better at gaming then he had let on, and Lance liked hearing the little grunts of frustration that escaped Keith’s lips whenever he made a mistake. 

 

It started with simple nudges to the arm, and Lance would feign ignorance whenever Keith glanced over in his direction, but he must not have been as stealthy as he thought, since Keith was quick to catch on.

 

“Quit making me lose!” he whined after Lance had shifted his leg on the couch to knock into his, causing him to lose focus for just long enough for Lance to take advantage of. 

 

“ _ Me? _ I would never! _ ”  _ Lance scoffed, but couldn’t quite hide the grin on his face as Keith narrowed his eyes in his direction. 

 

It got more elaborate after that, with Keith pretending to yawn dramatically and knock the controller from Lance’s hand, and Lance leaning enthusiastically over Keith during particularly intense parts, until the game was no longer about who could win, but who could make the other lose. 

 

Lance was giggling like a maniac and half draped across Keith’s lap by the time they finally finished the game, with both of them earning low scores from lack of actual effort, not that they cared at that point.

 

But as the end credits rolled, Lance felt Keith’s own laughter die down, and realized with a start the position he was in. His heartbeat quickened as he felt Keith’s arms rest on his back, and worried that the thuds from his pulse would be felt by the boy he was currently lounging on. 

 

_ How did I let myself fall onto Keith in the first place?! _

 

_ And why hasn’t he pushed me off yet? _ __   
  


_ Maybe...just maybe... _

In a moment of bravery, Lance rolled over in Keith’s lap, twisting so that his front was now facing upwards; his head resting comfortably on the inside of Keith’s thigh.

 

His eyes locked in on dark indigo; Keith’s cheeks pink and framed by thick bangs as they hung down over his face, but where Lance had been fully anticipating Keith to shove him off his lap now that he was situated so intimately, he was pleasantly surprised to feel Keith’s arms, which had sprung up in shock at the sudden movement, rest down across his chest comfortably. 

 

_ He’s not pushing me away… _

 

Lance knew his own cheeks were blazing as he stared up into Keith’s eyes, flickering back and forth between them as he let his controller drop to the floor. And he felt his heart pound with renewed vigour as one of Keith’s hands moved up along his body, until fingers were playing tentatively with the hair at the top of his head. Lance’s own arms were winding their way up towards Keith’s face; hands cupping his cheeks and marvelling at the softness of his skin, before slowly pulling back down, bringing Keith with them. It was like his body was on autopilot, and he was a bystander cheering himself on, urging his head to raise up, and pull Keith down just little further.

 

And as they were about to meet in the middle, eyes sliding shut and chins jutting forward as exhales of air were shared, the door slid open, revealing Hunk with a tray of cups and a paw print patterned apron.

 

“Hey guys you thirsty or-OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY!” he yelled upon seeing them on the couch together, and before Lance could so much as blink in response to the sudden interruption, he was flung to the floor as Keith abruptly stood, landing near his controller with a startled yelp.

 

“Ow what the quiznak Keith!”

 

And then Keith was crouching down beside him, arms hovering over his shoulders and face contorted in concern, panic, and a bucket load of embarrassment.

 

“I-I’m sorry! Are you ok?” he grabbed Lance by the hand and hoisted him up, letting go and hastily moving back a few paces once Lance was on his feet. He was staring at the floor as Lance glanced over at him, ears redder than the jacket tied around his waist, and Lance would have laughed had he not been as flustered as he was.

 

_ I nearly kissed Keith! _

 

_ And he nearly kissed me back!! _

 

_ And fricken HUNK- _

 

“Dude!” Lance whirled, seeing Hunk glancing nervously between the two of them, his own cheeks a dark red as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Knock first!”

 

“My hands were full! And this is the  _ common room! _ That means it’s  _ not private!” _ Hunk shot back, and then a sly smile crept onto his face as he glanced back over at Keith with a waggle of his eyebrows. “And I was under the impression you guys were  _ gaming _ . The definition must have changed.”

 

Keith’s face was almost steaming at this point; his hair hiding a good majority of the blush threatening to burn the room down, but not enough to prevent Lance and Hunk from seeing it.

 

“We  _ were _ gaming,” he managed to say, though his voice came out strained, and he was forced to clear his throat before continuing. “We beat it actually.” He gestured to the screen behind him, where the credits were still flashing. “See?” 

 

Hunk hummed to himself, walking into the room fully and setting the tray of cups down on a side table; all traces of awkwardness replaced with that annoying knowing gleam that Lance had seen him wear a few too many times this past week. 

 

“Looks like you started a new, more  _ interesting _ game,” he commented, and Lance heard Keith groan softly to himself. It was hard to be mad at Hunk though, especially since he hadn’t really done anything detrimental, and seeing Keith melt into a flustered mess was so beyond adorable that Lance couldn’t help the growing grin tug at his lips as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. 

 

“We did,” he said slyly, and felt Keith’s gaze flicker in his direction. “But we didn’t get to finish it.”

 

He could sense rather than see the way Keith’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing slowly but no sound escaping besides the faint exhale of breath as he glowered at Lance. 

 

_ I dare you to try and one up me at this. Flirting is my forte Keithy boy.  _

 

But Keith held his tongue, choosing instead to busy himself with putting his jacket back on. Hunk rolled his eyes at the comment, gesturing to the cups with one hand as the other went to rest at his hips.

 

“Whatever the case, I brought you guys refreshments. It’s good to stay hydrated. And you both look thirsty.  _ Very _ thirsty.” Hunk added, and if words could wink, Hunk’s would be reigning champs.

 

Lance crossed his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow at his best friend, challenging him to  _ try _ and make this more awkward than it already was, before glancing back at Keith with a lopsided grin.

 

“Oh, believe me, we’re parched.” 

 

“Oh my god kill me now,” Keith mumbled to himself as he hid his face in his hands, but Lance had heard, and bit back a laugh as he turned back to Hunk. 

 

_ Two to zero. Better step up your game Keith. _

 

But as fun as it was making Keith blush, Lance didn’t want to ruin the moment by pushing too far, and instead asked a question of his own.

 

“How is everyone by the way?”

 

Hunk welcomed the change in subject, though Lance knew there would be a conversation in the future about the events that had just transpired...or,  _ almost _ transpired. He and Keith hadn’t actually done anything, much to Lance’s disappointment. 

 

_ But that can be remedied. Hopefully. _

 

“Uh, Pidge is still with Coran I think, and Allura was in the control room last I checked. I sat and talked with her for a while.”

 

_ Oh right, I meant to do that as well… _

 

“How is she doing?” Keith piped up, moving to stand closer to Hunk, and thus Lance, though he was careful not to touch him in any way. “I sort of blew up yesterday and never got to properly apologize.”

 

“I think she’s just stressed out with everything that’s happened, you know? Like, not only does she have to run the castle, but now she has to fly Blue and try and form Voltron without Shiro and-” he broke off suddenly, having seen the flash of anguish cross Keith’s face. Lance glanced over at him, and ignoring the fact that they weren’t alone, reached his fingers out to entwine with the boy’s.

 

“Hey, it’s only temporary, remember? We’ll get him back.” 

 

Keith stared at the floor in front of them for a moment, then nodded his head mutely and squeezed their fingers together. Hunk was watching the exchange curiously, but didn’t make any comments, and Lance silently thanked him. His best friend liked to tease, but there was a time and a place for that, and Hunk must have known that this was not one of those times. 

 

“Yeah, we’ll get him back Keith. But in the meantime, Allura said she wants to spend some time with Black today, so we basically have the rest of the afternoon off.”

 

“Woah really?” Lance asked, keeping his hand in Keith’s as he turned to stare at Hunk. “You guys wanna watch a movie then?” 

 

Both boys were silent for a moment, exchanging looks with each other before grinning as they nodded.

 

“Yeah,” Hunk said, removing the apron from around his waist and tossing it onto the table near the cups he had set down. “I brought tea by the way, so help yourselves.” 

 

“I’ll get some blankets then,” Keith offered, and his hand slipped out of Lance’s before he could protest. “Be right back.”

 

“Oh, um...ok then,” Lance mumbled as he watched Keith exit the room. Hunk cleared his throat theatrically, and when Lance glanced over in his direction, was met with the largest shit-eating grin he had ever seen.

 

“I  _ knew _ it!” the yellow paladin hissed, rushing forward and trapping Lance is a tight hug. “I  _ so  _ knew it! When did this happen?! Are you two like a thing now?! Are you a couple?! Oh my god please tell me you’re a couple-”

 

“Hunk!” Lance yelped, clapping a hand down over his best friend’s mouth before his voice could carry down the hallway. “Geesh quiet down, will ya?”

 

He released his hand, revealing a stunning smirk as Hunk’s eyebrows waggled up and down teasingly.

 

“Spill.”

 

Lance groaned, moving to sit on the couch as Hunk’s arms dropped to his hips, and lounged across it with one leg hanging comfortably over the back. 

 

“There’s nothing to spill. We’ve just been hanging out more and talking and, I don’t know,” he sighed, staring at the ceiling and imaging Keith’s face hovering over his; dropping closer and closer…“You sort of interrupted before anything substantial happened.”

 

Hunk plopped down on the couch near his feet and whined loudly.

 

“What?! You mean you guys haven’t done that before?”

 

“By ‘that’ do you mean almost kiss? No.”

 

“Whaaaattttt???!” Hunk drawled, bringing his hands to his face as he groaned loudly into them. “And I barged in like an idiot and ruined everything! Gah,” he turned to Lance, grabbing hold of his ankles and staring pitifully into his eyes. “I’m so sorry, please forgive me!” 

 

Lance laughed, shifting so his legs were draped across Hunk’s lap, where he crossed them at the heels. 

 

“And on my birthday no less,” he teased, and Hunk made a high pitched squeal in the back of his throat, sounding like a balloon with the air slowly leaking out. 

 

“I’m the worst!” he moaned, falling forward onto Lance’s legs. “I’m a failure! I have to hand in my resignation for position of best friend! I’m no longer qualified!”

 

Lance was chuckling as he sat up, patting Hunk’s back reassuringly as he spoke.

 

“Sorry, but the position is for a lifetime. No refunds.”

 

Hunk turned his head to face him, smiling slightly as he did.

 

“Then I guess I better make sure you get only the top quality performance.” 

 

“You already do buddy,” Lance grinned, shoving the headband on Hunk’s forehead down so it covered his eyes. “Besides, we made a pact remember? If we’re both still single by thirty we’re getting married and adopting seven dogs. I’m gonna hold you to that.”

 

Hunk sat up then, shooting a wink his way as he patted Lance’s legs absently.

 

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about being single at thirty my friend, not with the way Keith was looking at you.”

 

Lance felt his cheeks flare up, and flopped back down on the couch as he covered his face with his hands. Hunk laughed, and then the sound of the door sliding open echoed around the room.

 

“Got the blankets,” Keith announced, and as Lance was about to sit up to welcome him back, his world suddenly darkened as a handful of sheets were tossed onto his head, and he fell back down with an ‘ooft’. Keith was chuckling softly. “Lance, how do you have so many blankets on your bed? Where the heck did you find them all?”

 

Lance managed to free his head from the cocoon of warmth, and stuck his tongue out at Keith, who was leaning over the back of the couch and watching him with an expression Lance hadn’t seen on his face often. It was soft, and made his eyes glow warmly, and Lance heard a word whisper in the back of his mind, describing exactly what it was he was seeing.

 

Fondness. 

 

And then the rest of Keith’s question was processed properly.

 

“Wait, you went in my room?”

 

Keith’s eyebrows tilted downwards as he stared back at Lance incredulously. 

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Oh…” he fiddled with the edge of the blue blanket that usually covered his bed, focusing on a loose strand instead of Keith’s eyes. “Did you like it?”

 

“Did I-what? It’s the same as every other room.”

 

“Except that it’s mine.” He sat up fully then, bringing his face close to Keith’s and noticing with glee that the boy’s only reaction was to flinch at the sudden motion, and not pull away. “So it’s automatically better.”

 

Keith’s smile turned devious as he stared back, face tilting ever so slightly to the right as he watched Lance through indigo spheres. 

 

“I would have liked it better with you in it,” he mumbled, and before Lance could utter his responding flirt, Hunk coughed loudly, startling them both apart. 

 

“Cute guys, but I’m still here. Here and awkward.”

 

Keith’s face was a mask of red as he stumbled away from the couch, striding over to the table Hunk had set the cups and guzzling down the contents of one without stopping for a breath. Lance turned to glare at his best friend, and harrumphed loudly enough to send a message.

 

Hunk shrugged.

 

“What? I said it was cute…”

 

Lance rolled his eyes, shuffling off the couch to set up Pidge’s laptop with one of the larger monitors in the room, before scrolling through her selection of torrented films. 

 

He ended up picking The Little Mermaid, and cozied up next to Hunk as Keith chose to sit on the seat adjacent to them.

 

Lance frowned over at him, jutting out his lower lip and patting the area next to him until Keith finally relented, and shimmied in close to share the blankets. 

 

Lance couldn’t focus much on the storyline of the movie. One, because he had already seen it eighteen more times than was necessary. Two, because between he and Hunk commenting on every little detail, the actual voice acting was difficult to hear. And three, because Keith was a very distracting person to sit next to during a movie.

 

The light from the screen cast lovely shadows across his face, highlighting contours Lance hadn’t noticed before. His eyes followed the movements on the monitor intensely, as if he were actually trying to watch the movie, but whenever Lance or Hunk asked him a question about what had just happened, he would blink and shrug, not knowing himself. 

 

Lance wondered if he was even paying attention to Ariel belt out her soprano notes, or if his mind was wandering aimlessly like his.

 

Well, not  _ aimlessly _ per say...Lance knew where his thoughts were going; all paths leading towards one massive signpost with ‘Keith’ written in large bold font. It was hard to ignore, but Lance couldn’t help himself.

 

Every shift Keith made on the couch; every accidental brushing of their legs or shoulders, had Lance shivering, despite the warmth both Keith and Hunk gave off. 

 

Lance tried, he really did, but after reaching the part in the movie where Ariel gets her legs, Lance had completely zoned out, focusing entirely on the smaller boy beside him.

 

It was Sebastian's repetition of  _ kiss the girl _ that finally broke his trance, but the lyrics held new meaning as his eyes darted back and forth between Keith’s eyes and his lips, not wanting to be caught staring...but at the same time, wanting that very much.

 

_ I don’t wanna kiss de girl. I wanna kiss de boy.  _

 

But he couldn’t. 

 

It wouldn’t be right. 

 

Sure, he and Keith had almost kissed twice now, and he knew the feelings deep in his gut were more than just some simple crush; something he had been able to ignore for so long now. But Shiro was still missing, and Lance worried that kissing Keith might be construed as him taking advantage of the boy’s fragile state. 

 

It would only feel right if Keith initiated things. Then Lance would know for sure that it was something he wanted. 

 

Besides, like Prince Eric, Lance was too shy to kiss the girl...or  _ boy _ , in this case, and as the song ended, Lance felt very much like he too had missed his chance.

 

When the movie finally finished, Lance sighed sleepily; noticing that Hunk had passed out beside him. He stretched, making sure not to wake his friend, before standing and re-covering him with the discarded blankets. Keith was watching them curiously; hand propped up on the edge of the couch and feet tucked up underneath him. 

 

It was too much for Lance to take in all at once, so he turned his attention to tidying up the room a bit in order to busy his hands.

 

Keith stood after a moment to help him, and they exchanged a few shy smiles as they worked soundlessly, doing their best not to wake Hunk. 

 

When everything was as clean as they could manage, Lance gestured towards the door, keeping his hand signals simple so Keith could understand, and together they exited the room.

 

“Is he okay in there?” Keith asked once the door had slid shut behind them. Lance glanced back at the room, nodding once before heading down the hallway.

 

“He needs rest. I’ll go check on him later and make sure his neck isn’t in a weird position or something.”

 

Keith chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked. They didn’t say much after that, with Lance too preoccupied with trying not to trip over his own feet or bite his tongue clean in half whenever Keith’s shoulders bumped into his to form proper conversation. But Keith didn’t seem to mind the silence, so Lance wasn’t too worried.

 

It was Keith who finally slowed to a stop, and Lance realized they had walked into the chamber containing the lion hangars; his mind humming as Blue and Red both greeted him warmly.

 

“I should probably go check on Red…” Keith stated, pointing his thumb in the direction of her hangar. Lance tried to ease the sinking feeling in his chest, not wanting to part just yet.

 

But he wasn’t really in any position to request otherwise.

 

“Oh, alright then. I wanted to chat with Blue anyways.” And it was true. He still wanted to converse with his original lion about his family and home and his birthday and  _ Keith. _

 

Mostly Keith.

 

And Blue wouldn’t tattle on him like Red apparently had. 

 

Keith was still standing in front of him, and his hands slowly exited his pockets as he rocked back on forth on his feet idly. 

 

“Right well,” and with a flurry of motion, Keith’s hand reached out and grabbed ahold of the front of Lance’s shirt, pulling him downwards and bringing their faces close.

 

And before Lance could so much as take a breath of air, Keith’s lips were on his; rough and chapped, fitting awkwardly due to the angle they were at, but incredibly tender despite those things. 

 

And sweet.

 

Was it possible for someone’s lips to taste so delightful?

 

But before Lance’s mind could provide anymore giddy observations, Keith was pushing him back; cheeks blazing as he turned on his heel and began walking in the direction of Red’s hangar.

 

“Happy birthday!” he called out, and Lance was frozen for approximately four seconds as his brain worked overtime to decipher what had just happened.

 

But as he watched Keith walk away, a more important realization occurred to him.

 

“Wha-HEY! You can’t just kiss me and then run away!” 

 

Keith paused, turning back to shoot him a wicked grin.

 

“Oh yeah? Watch me!” And he took off at a full sprint down the hall. Lance’s mouth fell open, and then his own two feet were bolting after the boy, seemingly moving on the own accord. Keith was fast, but Lance was determined, and that won out in the end. 

 

He caught up to Keith in Red’s hangar, where the boy had his back to him in an attempt to get Red to open up. But she didn’t seem to be listening.

 

Lance could sense her overwhelming amusement at hearing Keith curse her existence, before he slowly let his hands drop to his sides and turned to face him; back resting against Red’s snout in a relaxed manner.

 

“Looks like Red is on Team Blue,” Lance commented as he approached, keeping his pace steady now that Keith had nowhere to run. 

 

“Like lion like paladin I guess,” he murmured back, and Lance felt his heart threaten to leap into his throat. He stopped just shy of Keith’s feet, maintaining a respectable distance between them to allow Keith an opportunity to escape if he so desired. Lance hoped he wouldn’t though.

 

He was already out of breath from having chased after the boy, and it wasn’t like his heart was going to stop racing at any point in time. 

 

“How did you know it’s my birthday?” Of all the questions to ask, that one seemed to take priority in Lance’s mind, and he could see that it surprised Keith as well. His cheeks darkened, and he bowed his head slightly as he stared at the ground.

 

“I heard you and Hunk talking this morning. I was still in my room.” 

 

_ Oh. _

 

“Sorry about that,” Lance said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Had that been the only reason Keith had kissed him? And what about wanting to game and watch movies? Sure, they were great birthday presents if that’s what they were meant to be, but if they had only been given out of some sort of obligation to make his day better well...it had worked, but suddenly didn’t feel as special.

 

It was nicer when Lance assumed Keith hadn’t known.

 

The boy must have sensed his disappointment.

 

“Wait, why are you sorry?”

 

Lance sighed. 

 

“I didn’t want you guys to know, or feel like you had to celebrate-”

 

“Because Shiro is still missing,” Keith finished for him, and Lance nodded after a moment. “Lance, you didn’t have to do that. No one would have been pretending to be fake happy for your sake. Even if Shiro’s not here,” he shuffled his feet self-consciously, “you deserve to be celebrated.”  

 

“Is that why you did those things today?”

 

Keith’s mouth opened slightly, but he shut it after a moment and nodded.

 

_ Oh… _

 

So it  _ had _ all been because of his birthday. Why was that such an upsetting confession to hear?

 

“I knew you didn’t want a big thing,” Keith went on, “and I didn’t want to go against that, but I  _ did _ want to spend time with you.”

 

“Really?”

 

Keith nodded again, this time more enthusiastically, making his hair bop up and down like a fluffy dog.

 

“Of course! I like when we hang out. A lot. And I know what you said earlier, but we could still have a small celebration for you if you wanted.”

 

Lance smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly as he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.

 

“It wouldn’t feel right. And like I told Hunk, we can throw a proper party once we get Shiro back. That’s what would make me happiest.”

 

Keith was silent for a moment, and then suddenly he was pushing himself off of Red’s nose and closing the remaining distance between them; stopping mere inches from Lance’s face.

 

“ _ That’s  _ what would make you happiest?” he asked, voice hushed and drenched in teasing undertones. Lance could only nod sharply in reply; his tongue suddenly too large for his mouth. “Well, in that case, I guess I should take my present back until then.”

 

“Your present?” he asked, thinking back to the quick kiss they had shared. “How?”

 

And then Keith’s arms were draping across his shoulders; fingers brushing the hair at the back of his neck lightly. His body pressed in close as his legs stepped into the space between Lance’s, sending a buffet of sensations rocketing up his torso and into his head. 

 

“Like this…” and then their lips were reacquainted.

 

Though he only had the one other to compare it to, this kiss felt immeasurably nicer. Keith’s face was at a better angle, and their noses only bumped together every so often, when one would shift or reposition themselves to better accommodate the other.

 

Lance felt his hands leave his pockets, drifting up towards Keith’s chin and running along the length of his jaw until his fingers made it to the hairline. And then he let them delve into the dark locks of that mullet he so often mocked, reveling in how unbelievably soft it was.

 

Keith groaned against his lips, pushing into Lance with a subtle urgency that had Lance mimicking his movements overzealously, and the two stumbled backwards until Keith was pressed tightly up against Red. 

 

The boy let out a small ‘ooft’ at the impact, and Lance broke apart enough to stare down into his face; dazed and red as it was. He knew he was no better off.

 

“I think your refund policy is broken,” he mumbled hoarsely. “That kiss was  _ much _ better than the one I got before.” 

 

Keith chuckled; the exhaled air tickling Lance’s nose and smelling like the tea Hunk had brought them earlier. 

 

“Oh? Then maybe I should try again...”

 

And he did, yanking Lance’s mouth back down to his with a devious smirk. One of his legs hooked around the back of Lance’s calf, securing him in place as their kiss deepened; mouths opening up as their tongues began a tentative dance.

 

Lance wasn’t sure what to think. His brain was humming contently as his heart screeched incoherently, leaving his lips somewhere in the middle trying to decipher it all. Not that they seemed to be having much trouble in that department. Similar to flying Blue for the first time, kissing Keith just felt natural; as if Lance had been meant to do it all along. 

 

And speaking of, both Blue and Red were curiously quiet as he and Keith discovered how much they enjoyed sharing the same space. He didn’t ponder their lack of connection long however, choosing instead to think that they were simply giving them some privacy. 

 

Lance was sure he would hear all about it later though, once he had to fly Red again, considering they were making out right up against her nose. 

 

_ Whatever, all that matters right now is Keith. _

 

And so Lance devoted his entire self to prolonging their kiss; savouring each sound that escaped Keith’s throat, and trying his best to suppress the grin that kept threatening to break their lips apart.

 

All other thoughts not pertaining to the boy pressed tightly up against him were shoved on the back burner; insignificant and wholly unworthy of his attention. 

 

There was only Keith.

 

Keith and his stupidly luscious hair. 

Keith and his absurdly soft lips, chapped as they were.  

Keith with his hands now wandering down his back, tracing patterns in the fabric of his jacket before slipping below the hem of his shirt. 

 

And those hands didn’t slide up his torso as Lance had been expecting, but rather-

 

“Keith!” 

 

They broke apart, with Lance staring down incredulously at the growing grin on Keith’s face, before his own reciprocating one made his lips turn up at the edges. 

 

“Too much?” he asked slyly, and Lance swallowed thickly.

 

_ Not enough. _

 

“Maybe just save some for the  _ actual  _ party, otherwise I’ll have my expectations set too high.”

 

Keith quirked an eyebrow at him, hands returning to their original place at Lance’s shoulders. 

 

“I’d meet them.”

 

_ Oh I have no doubt about that. _

 

But Lance didn’t say that. Instead he stepped back slightly, allowing a small gap to form between their torsos, and let his forehead fall lightly against Keith’s.

 

“I just...I want to take this slow, if that’s alright with you.” 

 

Keith didn’t reply right away, instead choosing to stare up at Lance through dark bangs, eyes alight and mischievous.

 

“The guy flying the fastest lion wants to take things slow?”

 

“If the guy who just made out with me up against her face lets me,” Lance shot back, and then Keith was blushing, ducking his head down so Lance ended up with a mouthful of hair.

 

“Does that mean...you want to be with me?” Keith’s voice was barely a whisper, his words drifting up into Lance’s ears and echoing softly around in his head. He moved one of his hands to below Keith’s chin and tilted his face upwards, so that they were sharing a tender gaze in varying shades of blue and purple. 

 

“If it means I get to kiss you more, and hold your hand, and talk to you whenever I need it, or you need it, then yes. I want to be with you. I want  _ you _ to be with  _ me _ .”

 

Keith beamed up at him, eyes crinkling adorably at the corners. 

 

“Really?”

 

“Really. In fact, if I had candles on a cake to blow out right now, you can bet that’s what I would wish for.”

 

Keith bit his lower lip, which was already red and slightly swollen from the attention it had received. 

 

“You just told me your wish though. Doesn’t that mean it won’t come true?”

 

Lance chuckled, tilting his face down a smidgen closer to Keith’s and letting the hand beneath his chin roam up along a sharp cheekbone while the other played with his hair. 

 

“I think that depends entirely on you.” 

 

Their faces gravitated towards each other, pulling closer and closer until their noses bumped lightly, and Keith paused.

 

“Well, in that case,” he breathed out, and Lance felt his eyes begin to slide shut in response to the hushed tone. “Consider it granted.”

 

Their kiss this time was gentle; hesitant yet confident, as if they both knew what they were after, but were in no rush to get it. 

 

Hands wandered aimlessly over skin and fabric, legs tangling until Lance wasn't sure where his ended and Keith's began. But he didn't care, because with their lips still together, warm and wanting, there was no need to determine who was who. 

 

They were one, and it was glorious. 

 

And even with Shiro still missing, Lance was able to enjoy this moment of absolute bliss with Keith. Even with his family still back on Earth not knowing where he was, and this war ongoing and with no real signs of ending, Lance allowed his worries to melt away under Keith’s embrace.

 

They were still there, lingering and waiting to become corporeal once he left this hangar, but as long as Keith’s lips were on his, Lance could pretend, for the moment anyways, that they weren’t real. 

 

With Keith in his arms, he was back at home; safe and warm and  _ happy. _

 

And even though he hadn’t wanted to celebrate his birthday with everything that had been going on, Lance couldn’t possibly think of a better way to spend the day than with Keith between his arms, lips locking together like the seal of a promise.

 

That no matter what happened, from this point on they wouldn't be alone.

They had each other, and even though it was still so new, and fresh, and  _ exciting _ , Lance couldn't help but think those feelings would never fade. 

 

Because, as he had already decided back on that planet that so resembled Varadero beach, Keith was his home. While Lance was away from Earth, and his family, and everything he ever knew, he could find solace in Keith’s presence; experience safety and calm beneath the gaze of those eyes. 

 

And though there were parts of him that were still broken; fragments of his heart he wouldn't fully rebuild until he was reunited with his loved ones back on their own blue rock, Lance felt a little less empty in the soft glow of the alien lights. 

 

Keith was the glue keeping him together, and Lance would be his. And together they would find Shiro, end the war, and go back home.

 

Maybe those were large goals, dreams really, but with Keith at his side, they didn't seem so impossible. So long as he got to hold those hands in his own, hear the words meant only for him, and experience that smile that lit fires in his heart, then he could do it.

 

_ Would  _ do it.

 

Because he was the luckiest guy in the universe right then, and anything felt possible.

 

And as they stood sharing one space in the hangar of Red, lips soft and hands inquisitive, Lance let himself celebrate this day marking his birth. And he thanked Keith for giving him this present; something Lance would cherish and protect and do everything in his power to maintain for as long as it was his.

 

For giving him himself.

 

_ Best gift I’ve ever gotten. _

 

_And my favourite by far._   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> couple of notes here:  
> 1\. Keith and Lance end up keeping their relationship a bit of a secret (Hunk knows but they made him promise not to tell)  
> 2.They wait until after they get Shiro back to reveal  
> 3\. And because it's them, Keith basically attacks Lance's face as soon as they've ensured Shiro is safe and well   
> 4\. Needless to say it was a bit of shock for everyone, except Hunk, who cheered really loudly   
> 5\. Shiro makes a comment about disappearing earlier, and Keith throws a boot at his head.
> 
> Anyways this is the end of my Lance week fic! (tbh I'm not a huge fan of this but I didn't spend much time on it so oh well)  
> I have some better fics in the works that I'm looking forward to sharing with you :)  
> Depending on the response this gets I may or may not write the actual freebie day (I sort of included it in this since it got so long), about them either going back to earth or the night they actually celebrate Lance's birthday. (*wink wink*)
> 
> I guess that's all, so leave kudos or comments or a message in my inbox on Tumblr :) I love hearing feedback <3


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